Tears of Blood
by Rose Kitty
Summary: TP, AU She was a creature of darkness. Some said she had no heart, others claimed she was a cold blooded killer. But Pan Son was something they could never understand...-CHAPTER 6 UP after a long hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

I am a creature of darkness.

I, Pan Son, a seemingly harmless twenty-two year old with long black hair and eyes that are as deep as the vasts of the ocean.

I am not human.

I am a prowler, a creature of the night that was born thousands of years ago. My wisdom is that of an ancient god, my strength and power beyond your imagination. My senses, incredibly sharp, I can hear the woman next door recite a prayer. Or, for that matter, a pin drop a hundred miles away. Yet I am inside this body, this body of a twenty-two year old girl. I consider my youth a blessing, although my features have remained much the same throughout the years. High cheekbones, long black hair and deep, thoughtful eyes.

"_When I stare into them, I feel as though they penetrate through my soul." _That was what Salim used to say to me.

Salim.

My partner, my love, my best friend, my everything. He was like me in many ways; he too had incredible abilities, he too was of a different breed. Our bond was unlike anything I had ever experienced; we simply understood each other. There was no use for words. Just one look at him, and I would know what was on his mind. He completed me; without him I feel as if I have become weak, torn, and incredibly vulnerable. He has left a deep hole in my heart, which can never really be filled.

Today it will be exactly one week since Salim's death. As I sit here I feel a single tear drop from my cheek; this is perhaps the second time I have weeped in my entire life. And trust me, I'm older than I look.

He died to save me. If it weren't for him, I would not be alive today. But I don't feel grateful. All I feel now is a mixture of anger and sadness; incredible pain in my heart. What good is a life without Salim? _I would have rather died._

I quickly wipe my tears and stand up. There is work to be done.

Pulling on only a light leather jacket, I open the door and take a step back as the cold January air greets me. But I don't mind. In fact, I barely feel it. Silently I head outside, into the cold wintery night, a prowler on the lookout for it's next prey.

A/N: Please review and give me your thoughts if it's worth continuing or not!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Much thanks to those who reviewed.

Chapter 2:

I walk the near-deserted streets of downtown Chicago, it's citizens not daring to be outside on this freezing night. A few homeless people lay curled up on the sidewalks, and the neon blue lights of the nightclub I pass by seem to be the only signs of life. I spot a group of teenagers hanging out next to the club – _perfect_.

Before I can walk up to them, one of them spots me. "Hey honey," he calls out. "What's a pretty girl like you doin' all by yourself? You lost or somethin'? I can help you find your way," he says, his breath reeking of alcohol. Of course, I can smell it even from where I stand. His buddies laugh. I am disgusted, but I maintain my confused expression. _Two can play at this game._

I smile at him, and wink. "How about you show me the way back to your place?" I say, and his friends whistle loudly. My dark haired friend is aroused. Within minutes he is by my side, his hands running through my silky black hair. I take a closer look at him. He isn't bad looking, underneath all that roughness. Green eyes stare back at me, taking in my figure, liking what he sees. _Too bad, it'll be a shame for him to die._

He runs one hand up my thigh, the other struggling with the zippers of my jacket. I smirk and make it easier for him – I take off the jacket and throw it on the floor, and stand there facing him in a sheer white tank top, not even feeling the cold. He gapes for a minute, mesmerized. I take the oppurtunity to give him a rough kiss on the lips. _Only because he's cute_. Then I grip his neck firmly. He doesn't understand for a minute, they never do. He starts to shove me aside, until he realizes that he can't even budge my hand. I start to tighten my grip. He chokes out a scream- by this time his pals can tell that something is very wrong.

One of them makes the effort to help his friend. _Trying to be the hero._ He tries to grab my other arm, but I kick him squarely in the shin and he falls to the ground. _Unhurt, really. _He'll have a nasty bruise on his face but he'll be fine. The others stare, not daring to come any closer. I turn my attention back to the fellow at my mercy. I'm done playing this game. There is other work to be done, I can't waste all my time here. There is terror in the young man's eyes as he says hoarsely, "What the hell _are_ you?"

"I'm the devil," I whisper in his ear, and snap his head backwards. He lies on the ground limply. Then I prick his neck with a single nail and begin to feed. His so called friends have long gone. Then I quietly leave the deserted lot, walking on into the night. They'll find his body sooner or later. But of me they will never, ever find a trace.

A/N: Yes 'm keeping the chapters short for now only so I can update every day or so. Longer chapters to come ahead. Keep reviewing :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

I race through the alleyways and dark streets, my black boots barely making a sound. Cool stainless steel touches my right calf where I have hidden a six-inch blade, but otherwise I am unarmed. A police car cruises by me, not even bothering to look in my direction. My destination is clear in my head, I know where I am headed. Within five minutes I'm there, the old and nearly worn down building called Olympic Apartments.

I take the stairs two steps at a time, being in too much of a hurry to be bothered with taking the elevator. I make my way to apartment number sixteen, ring the doorbell and wait.

No answer.

I ring again, then pound the door insistently. I consider just breaking it down, but one of the neighbors is bound to see me and then there will be questions. Annoyed, I ring the bell a third time. _Open the Goddamn fucking door._

Only then does it occur to me to try the knob. Strangely, it is unlocked. I find myself surrounded by familiarity; this is the place I know as well as my own house. So much has happened here in this small, cramped apartment. I have wept tears of joy as well as tears of unbearable pain and sorrow. I have learned to accept who I am, _what _I am, and what I am destined to be.

The house is dark. "Anyone home?" I call out. I walk past an untidy kitchen, into a bedroom strewn with dirty clothes. A single photo rests on the table next to the bed. I pick it up gingerly, tracing the outline of a face I know so well.

All of a sudden, before I know what's happening, I am thrown off my feet with such a sudden blow that I gasp. The frame falls from my hand and shatters into a million pieces. Thankfully I fall on the bed, and in one swift motion I stick my leg out and my attacker trips and falls to the ground. But he is quick. I start to get up and he pounces on me again, pinning me back on the bed. Within seconds I find myself face to face with my attacker.

"You've gotten stronger," I say with a smirk.

He finally grins. "Not stronger than you," he says, but I know it is a lie. Ray is a much older vampire than I am; he is the one who has turned me into this…_thing_. For that I am still not sure whether to be grateful to him or to hate him for what he did. I only know that I would have died if he hadn't given me his blood, five thousand years back, when I used to be mortal.

He finally moves off of me and I get up, examining his face closely. He still looks like the twenty something football player he had once been. His deep brown eyes have always had a mischevious glint to them, which I love. Raymond Hill was my mentor, my good friend, and in many ways my savior. He had been Salim's best friend. The three of us had been a team, the last of the vampires. I had not seen Ray since that day Salim gave his life for me, that day which was not so long ago and already my beloved had become nothing more than a memory.

He sees me watching him and gives me a weary smile. "He's in peace, Panny. He's in a much better place," he says, reading my thoughts as always.

I look away. "I wasn't thinking about him."

He holds my chin in his hands. "You don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me, Pan. I _know _you. But you know you cannot weep for him forever. He wouldn't have wanted it."

"Do you believe in life after death, Ray?"

He smiles again, but there is a look in his eyes that I cannot quite explain. "I do. But then again I don't truly believe Salim has ever died. He is within us; he is what gives us power and makes us complete. He is a part of our inner being."

I smile vaguely and change the subject. Ray is right, I must get my mind off of Salim and continue on with life. I am strong, I remind myself. I am ruthless, and I have killed many times. But the reason I have come to see Ray today is not to be consoled about Salim.

"There's something else I came to talk to you about tonight, Ray. There have been…killings. Which could only be the work of other vampires." I pause. "I thought we were the last ones."

---

A/N: Next update will be in a few days. Thanks to those who keep reviewing :).


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Just realized I forgot to add a disclaimer to the fic so here goes…

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, just a couple of characters that you'll see pop up throughout the fic from time to time..

-----

**Chapter 4**:

He didn't reply immediately. He was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. "What makes you think these are vampires?"

I shook my head. "I _know _it, Ray. The way these people were killed….no human is that strong."

He waved my comment away. "Pan. You're getting all worked up over nothing. We are the last vampires. That's the end of it."

I frowned. "Okay. Fine. If you don't want to believe me then don't. I came here tonight because I was certain you'd want to help me out. But I'll just have to get to the bottom of this myself." I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Pan, wait." Something in his voice made me stop dead in my tracks.

"It would be better if you didn't."

I raised an eyebrow. I didn't like being told what to do, and he knew it. "Ray, you know how stubborn I am. If I want to get to the bottom of something I will. You can't stop me." I shrug.

"I know I can't stop you," he said calmly. "No one can. But I can warn you. It is better to just leave things the way they are. You'll just end up getting hurt."

I stared at him. He knew quite well how I powerful I was. _I _was the one who was going to get hurt? What a thing to say. Unless…there was something he wasn't telling me. But I really didn't care. Ray's strange behavior was starting to get on my nerves. I was determined to find out what was happening, and Ray was just being foolish if he thought he could try to stop me.

"Goodbye Ray," I said, my voice equally calm. "This conversation is now over. Look, I know you're just trying to watch out for me but honestly, I can take care of myself. " And with that, I walked out of his apartment.

Halfway down the corridor I turned and looked back. He was still standing there, watching me. For a second, I thought I saw his eyes turn blood red. I blinked and the moment was gone. He gave a small wave and went back inside.

----

Now I was back on the streets of Chicago at almost two a.m. I was not even sure where to begin my search, relying only on my keen senses to guide me. Also, Ray's odd behavior troubled me. Completely lost in my thoughts, I never noticed the police cruiser pull up next to me.

A young cop sticks his head out the passenger side. "What are you doing here this time of night, young lady?"

I try to appear anxious. "My car, I can't remember where I've parked it. Perhaps you can help me find it?"

He looks me over from head to foot, but I doubt he notices the bloodstains on my black clothes. Finally he shrugs, saying, "Hop in the back and I'll take you back to your car."

I consider just ripping open his veins right there and giving myself a snack after dinner. He'd never know what hit him. But he is lucky, because at the moment I happen to be quite full. And I don't like staining my clothes unless I have to, so I do as he says. I see him studying me in the rearview mirror critically. "Where's your car?"

"I just told you I'm not exactly sure. But it can't be more than a few blocks."

"What did you say your name was?"

I give him a small smirk. "I didn't. It's Pan Son."

As we pass by a red Honda I tell him to stop. He does, but then he turns to face me. I take in his features as he sits there contemplating what to say. His eyes—they startle me for a second. They are perhaps the bluest eyes I have ever seen, incredibly deep and thoughtful. _Pure_, I realize with a pang. I almost wince at the enormity of it. It contrasts to my own evil aura quite well. I am amused.

"Pan. I have a few questions for you. Now, you say you have been looking for your car. About fifteen minutes ago a young man reported that his friend was attacked by someone who fits your description. What do you have to say about that?"

I grimace. "I know nothing about it. How was he killed?"

He frowns. "Violently. Do you really expect me to believe your story about your car?"

"Yes," I say clearly, in my most soothing voice. Already I can feel him wanting to believe me. I lower my voice to a hush, pushing his belief buttons. "It is the truth."

He nods, a bit dazed. But he is strong, I can tell. He doesn't respond to my signals as quickly as others would have. And he is still full of doubt, I know it.

"Pan, can you give me a contact number? We might have more questions to ask you later. For now, however, you're free to go."

I actually give him the correct number. In fact, I am feeling generous and so I even give him my correct address. I eye the piece of paper he thrusts into my hand. It contains the address of the police station he belongs to. On it is simply written _Briefs_. Interesting name. Then I hop out of his cruiser and back into the night. The Honda door is locked, but I open it with a hard yank and slip behind the wheel. With two fingers I break the ignition switch. I watch his car behind me in the rearview mirror, his head bent as he furiously scribbles something down. _Probably my license plate number._ Before he can even look up, I start the ignition and speed off, already two blocks away…

---

A/N: Well there you have it, finally Trunks is in the picture! More of him in the next chappy. Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**:

After about ten minutes of useless driving, I feel as if I am getting nowhere and should call it a night. I hate giving up though; I park my car and sit there to ponder for a few minutes.

All of a sudden, I get a prickly sensation at the back of my neck. _I am being watched_, I realize suddenly, and turn around abruptly, my gaze on the tall shadow that looms the end of the street. Our eyes lock. My gaze has been known to burn holes when I want it to. I know for a fact that the person standing there is not human. But I smell fresh blood; a youngster, a newly created vampire who doesn't know what he has come face to face with. Finally, he blinks.

I am on him in a second.

"Who is your leader?" I ask him, shoving him on the ground roughly and placing my booted foot on his stomach. He refuses to reply and I press down with my boot harder; I know he feels as if his ribs are being broken into a hundred tiny pieces. "_ANSWER ME!" _I yell.

He smirks at me and I frown, annoyed. The little wiseass. Guess he doesn't know it's never a good idea to get me angry. I begin to get a firm grip on his neck when all of a sudden I feel searing pain in my right arm. I gasp—there is another one, and he has thrust his knife into my right shoulder with all his strength.

"Who the hell..!" I scream as I pull the knife out of my shoulder. It _hurts_. Now I have blood all over me, freely flowing across my elbows and onto my hands, but one thought keeps me going: _I have to kill them. I have to. _I can feel the intentions of these vampires and the only thing they have been created for is destruction.

I throw his own knife at him.

He catches it by the _handle_, something that even I cannot do.

"Holy shit," I whisper, and all of a sudden I know that this guy is strong, stronger than me and probably even stronger than Ray. His beady eyes are cold and without any compassion as him and his partner close in on me.

So I do the only thing I can do to save my own life, as much as it hurts my pride, I know I am left with no other option.

I turn around and make a run for it. Strangely enough, they don't follow me. Still, I know in my heart that this is not yet over. We will meet again, sooner or later…and this time, they are the ones that will be running for dear life.

----

The next morning, I awake to the sound of a phone ringing somewhere off in the distance. I open my eyes groggily before I reach for the phone, taking a moment to examine my shoulder which was severely stabbed yesterday. The wound has, of course, completely healed. Like it never happened. I place the phone next to my ear.

"Yes?"

"Am I speaking to Pan Son?"

"Yes. Agent Briefs, how nice of you to call." I smirk, and in that moment I make a decision. "There's actually something I forgot to tell you about last night."

He is interested. "Such as?"

"I know who's responsible for those killings you've had around town recently."

He pauses. "Are you being serious?"

I raise an eyebrow. "I seldom joke, Agent Briefs."

"If that's the case, then I want you in here as soon as possible to discuss things. When can you make it?"

"I'm not coming down there," I tell him. "If you want the information you'll have to meet me somewhere seperately. I guarantee you'll be glad you came."

There is another brief pause. He seems to be considering. Finally he speaks again. "Where?"

"My house. I believe you have the address. Come as quickly as you can. I'll be waiting."

---

Ten minutes later I hear a car screech to a halt in front of my place. I have to hide a smile. _He came rather quickly_. I open the door and let him in.

"Talk," he orders, fixing his cerulean eyes on me right away. He looks very unprofessional without his uniform. Dressed in expensive white slacks and a pale blue sweater that brings out his eyes, I have to say he looks rather handsome. _Very_ handsome, actually.

"Have a seat," I tell him. He takes the chair opposite from me at my kitchen table, then looks at me expectantly.

"Look Agent Briefs," I start to say but he cuts me off.

"Trunks, please. Call me Trunks."

"Right," I say. "Trunks, listen to me. I know many things, but I don't want you to ask me how I know them. I am telling you this because I feel I can use you in this. The man that was found murdered last night, he was strangled to death, was he not? There were also other strange marks running upwards from his neck. In fact, every bone in his neck was shattered," I paused. He was looking at me strangely. "It takes a great deal of strength to snap every cervical in a man's neck. No human is that strong. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

He chooses his words carefully. "It makes me wonder how you know these things."

I shake my head. "I told you before not to ask me." I lean forward, touching his leg gently. "What I am trying to say, Trunks, is that the man you are looking for is not normal."

He frowns. "What are you implying?"

I lean closer, my hand still on his thigh. I gaze into his deep blue orbs, having a very sudden desire to be human again. To be this innocent. To not know anything about the evils of the world. "Just that," I say, a seductive note in my voice. "Your killer is able to do things most humans aren't."

He stares at my hand, as if trying to decide whether it is a precious jewel or a spider that has crawled onto his lap. Finally he clears his throat. "You are very alluring, Pan. Especially when you are trying to be persuasive. You weren't really looking for your car yesterday, were you?"

I shrug. "That's not important. What matters is that we need to get to the bottom of this. Before anyone else gets hurt."

He is silent for a few minutes. "Are you normal, Pan?"

I have to smile. "What do you think?"

"No," he says.

I pat his shoulder. "You go right on thinking that way, Trunks," I say, but in my head I am thinking, he already knows too much about me.

When all this is over, I am going to have to kill Special Agent Trunks Briefs.

-----

A/N: Ok I'm really sorry to say this, but the next chapter might take me longer than usual to post, simply because of the fact that I'm having finals (yes I actually plan to study for them..hehe). Give me two weeks at the most. Also next chapter I plan to include a bit of Trunks' POV. Don't forget to review :)

-Rose


	6. Chapter 6

Tears of Blood

A/N: No, no, your eyes aren't deceiving you. This is an actual update on Tears of Blood. Yes it has been over a year. I was being incredibly lazy, and I apologize. I am however, determined to finish this. If it makes you feel better, this chapter is much longer than the others. Again, sorry for the delay.

Chapter 6

---

Trunks's POV

--

All my instincts were screaming danger. Whether or not I was listening to them, however, is an entirely different question.

Years of training had taught me not to fall for an innocent face. Years of training could not have prepared me for this. I found myself inexplainably drawn to her, and wanting to believe everything she told me. And yet, somehow, I still found it within me to hold back.

Half of me still thought she was a complete psycho and should be arrested right then and there. The thing was though, she was too well put together to be marked unstable. That was the scary part.

So in that moment, I made a decision, perhaps one that I would regret later or even my whole life.

I decided to help her.

---

"Yes," He says, finally breaking the long silence. "I'll help you. But on one condition. You're going to tell me the truth about how you know all this information."

"I will not," I say firmly. "I told you at the beginning of all this that you would not ask me any questions, Trunks, but that you would simply believe that I am not the one you should be worried about. Trust me on this."

"How can I!" He says, frustrated. "You know things that you should not know. How can I think that you are not involved in any of these murders or that you are not the murderer yourself? How can I know that you are not manipulating me, or if this is some sort of trap? I have been in the police force for a long time, Pan, and I have learned to believe that not every innocent face tells the truth." He crosses his arms over his chest and locks his blue eyes on me, waiting for an answer.

"You answered that question yourself, Trunks," I say. "You said I was not normal. I know things that I shouldn't because I am far from normal. One day, if I am able to, I will tell you exactly how I know. But I hope for your sake that the day never comes." I pause. "So, Agent Trunks, do we have a deal?"

He sighs and looks at me for a long moment before nodding. "We do."

I smile. "Good." Before he can say anything further, I walk briskly past him to get my car keys. My knee brushes against his for a moment, and I am shocked at the jolt of electricity that penetrates through me. Our eyes meet for a second, and I know he feels it too. I look away quickly, and it is as if the moment never happened. "If you have made up your mind, then come," I tell him. "We haven't got much time to waste."

I watch him get up hesitantly, and when he looks at me his eyes are still full of questions, questions which I cannot answer. Yet I am impressed by his courage. He has agreed to something knowing fully well how dangerous it could be for him, and he does not even know anything about me. He is a true officer, and I admired him for that.

I smiled. "I am glad that you decided to help me, Trunks."

He gives me a wry grin and shakes his head. "I just wonder what on earth I've gotten myself into."

I looked at him warily. _You have no idea_.

---

It has not even been a minute since I have stepped foot outside of my apartment when I begin to sense an immense feeling of power not far from where I stand. My senses immediately alert, I push Trunks behind me.

"Go back inside. I hadn't thought it would be like this. There's at least fifty of them out here tonight." I could see his confused expression out of the corner of my eye but I didn't have any time to explain. "Go!"

I start to move forward but he catches my hand and pulls me back. "What's going on, Pan? And why are you telling me to go? I'm a certified police officer for God's sake, you can't possibly take on these people on your own-"

I look at him in the eyes then, letting my shield of innocence slide from my face for just a second and I know he can glimpse an inch of the real me. I know he sees the pure feral hunger in my eyes, and if he had any doubts about my abilities before I know they are gone now. He takes a step back, as if too shocked to comprehend what he has seen.

"I am capable of taking care of myself," I say calmly. "I am suggesting that you go back inside, Trunks, because I truly do not want to see you die. "

His jaw is firmly set and I realize then that I cannot change his mind. I let the feeling of shock slowly dissolve through me as I register what he has just done. He knows what I am, he knows what he is up against, and he is willing to risk his life in a futile attempt to help me?

He shrugs nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected, although in his eyes I can see the fear. Yet he continues to stand by me, and I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I quickly push away. Perhaps later I can sort out my feelings towards this human, but right now it is time to act.

"Stay low," I whisper, and walk out into the moonlight, feeling the sense of power in the air increase with my every step.

And then everything happens at once. Three vampires hurl themselves at me, almost knocking the breath right out of me. But that is not what makes me cry out. No, I have just seen another vampire slip into the shadows of my apartment, where I have left Trunks standing. _Shit_. I had thought they would be after me, not after him. What could they possibly gain from hurting him? I barely have any time to think.

I thrash in the arms of my captors until I hear their bones break and I am released. Quickly, I run to the clearing of my apartment where I can see Trunks engaged in a battle with his attacker. A closer look tells me that the vampire is only toying with him, for I am able to see what Trunks isn't: a six inch blade in his left hand, waiting to strike at the first oppurtunity.

So focused am I on Trunks, that I do not notice the vampire who has crept up behind me until I feel his blade in my left leg. Screaming in sheer pain, I manage to take the knife out of my leg and stick it into his heart. Then I topple over in agony, my world spinning, and blacking out before my very eyes …

----

I awake to find myself in an unfamiliar bedroom. My head is throbbing with pain, and my first instinct is to just lay back down in bed and sleep. The events of last night play through my mind like a blur, and I remember Trunks with a gasp. I must go find him. I must get out of here and –

The abrupt knock on the door snaps me back to the present. I search my pockets for my blade that I was carrying earlier but it is gone. Before I can reply, a head peeks inside and I sigh in relief.

"You're alive," I say in amazement, staring at this human who has perhaps saved my life. He focuses his deep blue eyes on me, his expression grim, and I find my heart fluttering like a seventeen year old's. _Dear God, what the hell is wrong with me?_

"Yeah, and if it weren't for me, I'm not so sure you'd still be alive yourself," he informs me grimly, taking a seat next to my bed. Looking closely, I can see his hair is matted with blood and he has a gruesome scar across his neck.

"What happened?" I ask him, scrambling out of bed to face him. "How did they let you go alive?"

He shrugs. "After you passed out, the rest of them just ran off. I wish I could say I committed a few acts of heroism by fighting off a few vampires, but that didn't happen. So I just took you with me and came back." He pauses, and gives me a wry grin. "Still think I'm useless to have around?"

But I am barely listening after he says the word 'vampire' so nonchalantly. "You…know what I am?"

He merely shrugs again, although I notice he is having difficulty looking at me in the eyes. "Yeah, sure. That became apparent after your friend tried to suck the blood right out of me," he says, shaking his head. "And it explains a lot of things now."

I reach out a hand to tilt his chin upwards so that he is looking at me directly in the eyes. He seems surprised for a second, but maintains eye contact.

"Do you know what I am capable of, Special Agent Trunks Briefs? I don't think you fully understand. I have killed before, many times in my life. I have-"

"I know," he says firmly. "I know. And I am still willing to help."

"And you will do no such thing," I say firmly. "I have changed my mind. I don't want you getting hurt. Don't you see? It is my fault that you're in this condition right now. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked you for your help. But I don't need it anymore," I say firmly, getting out of bed.

"And you need to realize that you would have still been out there, unconscious, if I hadn't brought you back here! They would have killed you, Pan. As a cop, its my duty to-"

"And you," I say coldly, "Need to realize that you being there changed nothing. They let us go because it was a warning. They'll be back. And this time, I'll face them alone."

The silence that follows my comment is long and strained. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walk over to where he is seated and take his hand. Surprise flickers across his face, but then he responds by tightening my hand in his grip. His blue eyes look up at mine searchingly, hurt and helpless.

"I don't know why you make me feel this way," He says softly. "I want to do everything I can for you, but I can't even do a thing. I'm useless."

"It's not your fault," I say, caressing his fingers with my own. "I was made this way. Everywhere I go, everything I touch...there is blood. I'm used to it. And that's why it's better if I stay alone. " I stand up to leave, and he stands too.

"I just want you to know," He says, meeting my eyes. "That I am not one to back out of a promise, Pan. Useless or not, I'm still willing to come."

I smile faintly and reach up to touch his cheek. Once again I think what a fine man he is. Consumed with doubts and questions, he still wants to do his duty. He still wants to be with me.

"I can make you forget," I tell him. "I can manipulate your mind so that you would never remember who I was. But I don't want to do that to you, Trunks, even now. And I think it is because I have started to care far too much." I turn away before he can see the pain in my eyes. "I just want you to get away from here, get away from me. And forget any of this ever happened. Please."

He stops me as I reach for the doorknob. I do not shake his hand from my arm, and instead stare into his eyes, which are so full of desire. For the first time in a long while, I feel incredibly lonely. So human and vulnerable. It frightens me enough to back away and remove my arm from his grasp.

"Will I see you again, Pan?" is all he asks.

"I hope not," I tell him. "And I don't mean that cruelly. Goodbye, Trunks Briefs."

And without another word, I turn around and leave.

----

A/N: The next chapter will be up in a couple of weeks, and since I'm back into writing mode, there will be regular updates from now on. Keep those reviews coming, they do indeed make me write a whole lot faster =)

-Rose


End file.
